


in the 21st century, we still write love letters.

by greatzodiac



Category: The Pacific (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff, One Shot, we've gone international
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 13:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11403681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greatzodiac/pseuds/greatzodiac
Summary: A long-distance correspondence caused by a letter mixup. A relationship blossoms.





	in the 21st century, we still write love letters.

As far as anyone could tell, Vera and Stella were the closest of friends, first bonding unusually over mail that got sent to the wrong person, and starting a correspondence. It's not everyday someone in Australia gets a letter from the United States, which is quite strange, because it wasn't even supposed to leave the U.S. in the first place, but that's the American postal service experience for you.

Correspondence kept up for months between them. They exchanged photos of themselves, their family and friends, local hangouts, their town; everything they could possibly think to send, they sent. They even sent each other care packages with their favorite books and items, and food that you could only find in that particular place.

Unsurprisingly, Vera wasn't a huge fan of Vegemite, as Stella had expected. Vera had gotten a friend of hers to record her reaction to her first tasting of it, and needless to say, it didn't go well. When the short home movie on a DVD -- decorated by Vera herself -- was sent along with the next package, Stella laughed harder than she had in months, and almost damaged the projector itself, which wouldn't have been good, considering she borrowed it. She got a couple friends together and rigged her computer up to a projector and played it on a white sheet in the backyard. Stella thought her friends would get a kick out of it.

At that moment, Stella realized one of two things:

1) She desperately needed Vera with her, in Australia.

2) She was hopelessly in love.

Finally, all those feelings in her chest that she got when she saw another letter from Vera, another package from Vera, made perfect sense to her.

Stella sent back her own recording, which she recorded herself by creating a very unsteady contraption to hold the camera. In it, she held up large cards that said the following:

"I GUESS VEGEMITE ISN'T YOUR FAVORITE THING FROM AUSTRALIA." She frowned very heavily at this, then discarded the card.

"BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT IS... ME!" Stella thought this was clever and laughed to herself. She dropped the card and moved on.

"SO I AM INVITING YOU TO FINALLY COME MEET YOUR FAVORITE THING FROM AUSTRALIA!" Card dropped.

"VEGEMITE WILL NOT BE PRESENT, SO REST ASSURED." Another card dropped.

"CHECK THE BOTTOM OF THE BOX."

At the bottom of the box, Stella stuck one round-trip ticket to Australia from the United States, with a brief layover in Hawaii, which wouldn't be so bad, leaving one week from when the package would arrive. They'd been mailing each other enough to get the schedules down.

"CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!" read the last card, and Stella smiled and blew a kiss at the camera. That's where the tape ended, and that's when Vera realized something, too:

She was in love with this girl all the way across the ocean.

Not going, of course, wasn't an option. The ticket was already paid for, and Vera was adult; she could do whatever she damn well pleased and no one could stop her. When she fully realized that she would be meeting her long-distance after all these months, she screamed in excitement and was practically bouncing off the walls. Vera was sure she could be heard in the next state over, but she didn't give a damn; she was too excited. Her heart raced _because_  she was excited, but it raced because she'd finally get to meet _her_.

The week went by awfully slow for Vera, but soon the departing day arrived. First a plane to California, then a plane to Hawaii, and from there, Australia. Never being on a plane before, Vera didn't know if she was going to be horribly nervous or not.

Spoiler: she was. The long, arduous journey -- about 6 hours to Hawaii, and 10 to Australia -- and overcoming turbulence was an experience, as being on an overnight flight, but Vera would deal with if it meant the reward to overcoming it was Stella. It would be worth it.

And worth it it was. After 16 total hours on a plane, and a two-hour long layover in Hawaii, she was finally here.

Australia.

Home to her, to Stella.

Stella saw Vera first, because Vera's main concern was first, to get off; second, to get her luggage; and third, make sure she stretched her legs after being on a plane for so long. She wobbled a little bit, getting her bearings back after sitting for so long, but after adjusting, she scanned the crowd, looking for Stella.

Stella was already on her way through the throng and pushing through to reach her, so by the time Vera saw her, Stella was saying her name, and they were right in front of each other.

In proper girl fashion, they screamed and hugged each other tight, finally glad to be with the other, taking each other in; how they felt, how they looked, what perfume they wore.

When they finally stood back, they were both grinning to their ears, and Stella took Vera's bags.

"Time to show you around then, yeah?" Stella asked. Vera nodded with delight.

Stella first made sure someone brought Vera's bags back to her home, because where else would she be staying? She wouldn't have it, and neither would her parents; any one of Vera's friends visiting would stay over in their house, and there would be no exceptions.

First on the list was a local diner that was Stella's favorite place to go. "I'll show you the pubs a bit later," Stella said, then winked. "It's a bit too early for drinking."

They had a brief lunch together, and for some reason all Vera could think about was Stella. Hugging her again, holding her close, dancing with her around the living room as piano music played softly in the background.

All Stella could think about was holding Vera's hands in her own. Holding her hand, resting her chin on her shoulder, taking her face in her hands and-

They were interrupted, a family friend of Stella's family, an older woman, asking, "Is this the young lady you've been writing to for so long?"

Stella blushed and nodded, swallowing the food she had in her mouth before speaking. "Yes, it is! Vera, I'd like you to meet a friend of the family..."

They talked for a few more minutes before Stella excused herself to pay the bill.

"You know," the older woman said, "she's been talking about you for months, so happy to have a friend overseas. Her face lights up whenever a new package gets delivered."

"Oh!" Vera exclaimed. "Do you see her receive them?"

The older woman waved her hand. "No, no, but my son delivers the mail, and Stella's always waiting on the front steps waiting for your packages and letters."

Vera stuttered out, "Well, I'm happy that she's happy to get them!"

Stella returned shortly thereafter and asked if Vera was set to go to the next location. They waved goodbye to the family friend and went on their way up the sidewalk.

"So a little birdie tells me that you've been talking about me," Vera said.

"All good things, I promise," Stella replied.

As Stella walked Vera around town, more and more family friends and just regular friends came up to Stella and said the same thing: "This must be your American friend!" Though they never said it, they all initially believed that the friend was a boy with how Stella talked about them, but when she'd say, "she's so lovely" or "she sends me the best gifts," they would think they misheard her.

But they were wrong.

The day wound down and Stella made their last stop before home the typical place: the beach.

"It must be nice to have the beach only a short walk away," Vera observed. "I'd have to drive for a few hours to reach one at home."

"Well, hopefully you won't have to do that once you live here," Stella said, accidentally letting her thought slip out of her mouth.

Vera smiled, though she was a bit confused. "You so badly want me, your exotic American friend, to live here?" she asked.

Stella shrugged, trying to play it off. "Maybe someday. It's a beautiful country."

"It is a beautiful country," Vera agreed. "And so is the United States. You'd like it. It's not as hot where I live, though."

"Everything's hotter here," Stella said, borderline suggestive. She was feeling bold and could tell by the letters that Vera felt the same way she did. The hearts that were dotted throughout the letter were there from the start, yes, because that's how Vera wrote friends, but what was between the lines said it.

"I hope someday to be by your side," Vera once wrote. "Then we will at last be how the universe wanted us to be: together."

"Where would I live, though?" Vera asked.

Stella said, "With me. We'll get a flat together." She toed the sand with her bare foot and eyed the water. "It's about time I moved out of my parents home, anyway."

"And I'll get a job here, obviously," Vera remarked, approaching Stella. "I think I'll bring in enough people, because I'm American. And a hot one, at that."

Stella laughed. "Very true."

When Vera was finally next to Stella, she reached over and grabbed her hand as they observed the setting sun together. Stella looked over as Vera looked at her as well, a calm, warm breeze blowing over the both of them. No one else was there, they'd all gone home for supper, so they were free to be who they really, truly were here.

"There's one little issue," Vera stated.

"What? What is it?" Stella said, turning her body so she was fully facing Vera, and grabbed her other hand.

Vera bit her lip, then said, "I don't like Vegemite. Will they accept me anyway?"

Stella laughed and shook her head. "I'm sure they will."

"But there's still an actual, serious issue I have."

"And that would be?"

Vera took a deep breath and finally asked, "When we live together, will it be as roommates? Or something more?"

Silence passed between them as the sun continue to set and the ocean continued to lap at the sand near their feet. Vera opened her mouth to say something, but before she could get anything out, she found something on her lips instead.

Stella.

Stella's lips.

Her lips on her own.

Vera closed her eyes and kissed back, softly, but with so much love. Stella's hands held Vera's face in place as she was leaning down slightly to kiss her. Vera grabbed Stella's hands and held them there, and for this moment, the only two people in the world was them.

They pulled away, opened their eyes, and looked at each other. The moment they'd been waiting months for had finally arrived.

"I love you," Vera said. That's what she was about to say. That's what she'd been wanting to say but had been too afraid to say for many months now. Stella was surprised, because she felt the same way and even though she knew it, saying it and hearing it was still a shock.

"I said I love you," Vera repeated.

Stella smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you, too."

**Author's Note:**

> A little longer, but I have more planned. Stay tuned.


End file.
